Vriesea plant named &#39;Style&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Vriesea  plant named ‘Style’ characterized as funnel form rosette plant, measuring about 45 cm in height and 35 cm to 45 cm in diameter, and produces compound, red, bipinate spike inflorescence, measuring 20 cm to 30 cm, about 2 to 6 branches, measuring about 12 cm to 17 cm in length and 3.5 cm to 5 cm in width, and green foliage, measuring 20 cm to 30 cm in length and about 4.0 cm in width.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Vriesea sp.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘STYLE’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vrieseaplant, botanically known as Vriesea sp., hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Style’. The genus of Vriesea belongs to the Bromeliaceaefamily.

The new Vriesea cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventors, Elly Bak and Nico D. M. Steur, inAssendelft, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is todevelop a new Vriesea variety good growing habit and attractive redinflorescence.

The new Vriesea cultivar ‘Style’ originated from a cross-made in acontrolled breeding program by the Inventors in 1991 in Assendelft, TheNetherlands. The female or seed parent is the Vriesea poelmanii cultivardesignated ‘9120911’ (unpatented). The male or pollen parent is theVriesea sp. cultivar designated ‘86395’ (unpatented). ‘Style’ wasdiscovered and selected by the inventors in June of 1994, as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Assendelft, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Style’ performed by vegetativemeans by tissue culture was first performed in 1997, in Assendelft, TheNetherlands. The first ‘Style’ plants propagated through the use oftissue culture flowered in 2002, in Assendelft, The Netherlands, andhave demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as hereindisclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivarreproduces true-to-type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘Style’ which in combination distinguishthis Vriesea as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Funnel form rosette plant, measuring about 45 cm in total        height and 35 cm to 45 cm in diameter;    -   2. Compound, red, bipinate spike inflorescence, measuring about        20 cm to 30 cm in height;    -   3. About 2 to 6 branches, measuring about 12 cm to 17 cm in        length and about 3.5 cm to 5 cm in width; and    -   4. Green foliage, measuring about 20 cm to 30 cm in length and        about 4.0 cm in width.

Plants of the parents, ‘9120911’ (unpatented) and ‘86395’ (unpatented),are no longer available to provide a botanical comparison with the newVriesea cultivar ‘Style’. *The new cultivar ‘Style’ differs from 9120911with a more branched inflorescence with wider branches on a shorterstem*.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventors, themost similar in comparison to the new Vriesea cultivar ‘Style’ is theVriesea cultivar designated ‘Saturn’ (patented, EU 15605). Plants of thenew cultivar ‘Style’ differ from plants of ‘Saturn’ primarily in leafcolor and a more compact growth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Vriesea cultivar ‘Style’ showing the colors as true as is reasonablypossible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describes the color of‘Style’.

The photograph shows a side view perspective of a typical pottedflowering plant of ‘Style’ at about 17 months of age.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

‘Style’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variationsin environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length,fertilizers and humidity without any change in the genotype of theplant.

The aforementioned photograph, together with the following observations,measurements and values describe the new Vriesea cultivar as grown in agreenhouse in Assendelft, The Netherlands, under conditions whichclosely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Plantsof ‘Style’ were grown in a greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from20° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 23° C. Noartificial lighting or photoperiodic treatments were conducted, butplants of ‘Style’ are forced into flowering by adding acetylene. Thefollowing fertilizer is added when growing plants of ‘Style’: 1 partnitrogen, 0.6 parts phosphor, 2 parts Kalium and 0.1 parts magnesium.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (RHS), except where general colors of ordinary significance areused. Color values were taken under daylight conditions in a greenhousein Assendelft, The Netherlands. The age of the plants of ‘Style’described is about 17 months.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Vriesea sp.-   Parentage:    -   -   Male parent.—Vriesea sp. cultivar designated ‘86395’            (unpatented).        -   Female parent.—Vriesea poelmanii cultivar designated            ‘9120911’ (unpatented).-   Propagation: Tissue culture-   Plant:    -   -   General appearance and form.—Height: About 45 cm Width:            About 35 to 45 cm Shape: Funnel form rosette.        -   Growth habit.—Stemless.        -   Plant vigor.—Good.        -   Flowering season.—A fully grown plant can flower year round,            starting 15-17 weeks after induction of natural light or            trough treatment with acetylene.        -   Cold tolerance.—Frost tender. Temperatures below 5° C. may            damage plants.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Foliage:    -   -   Quantity.—About 25 to 35.        -   Size of mature leaf.—Length: About 20 to 30 cm Width: About            4.0 cm.        -   Overall shape.—Linear, lanceolate.        -   Apex shape.—Cuspidate and bending downward.        -   Base shape.—Strap-like around central axis.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Smooth and glabrous.        -   Color.—Leaf color can vary somewhat depending on growing            conditions Upper Surface: Mature leaf: Yellow-green, RHS 147            A, with purple coloring at base, RHS 71A Immature leaf:            Green, RHS 137 A Lower Surface: Mature leaf: Yellow-green,            RHS 147 B Immature leaf: Green, RHS 137 A.        -   Venation.—Pattern: Parallel, unclear and not always visible.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Quantity and form.—1 flower per floral bract, typical for            the genus Vriesea; flowering is normally in progression from            base to tip of scape.        -   Shape.—Bipinate spike.        -   Size.—About 20 cm to 30 cm in height.        -   Corolla.—Form: Long and narrow, petals and sepals fused at            the base around the ovary Number: About 40 to 100 depending            on the size of plant.        -   Petals.—Number: 3 per flower Length: About 5 cm to 6 cm            Width: About 0.8 cm Overall Shape: Ligulate Apex Shape:            Cuspidate Base Shape: Fused Color: Upper surface: Yellow,            RHS 5 A Lower surface: Yellowish translucent, closest to RHS            5A        -   Sepals.—Number: 3 per flower Length: About 3 cm Width: About            1 cm Overall Shape: Ligulate Apex Shape: Acute Base Shape:            Fused Color: Translucent, closest to RHS 5A.        -   Branches.—Quantity: About 2 to 6 Length: About 12 cm to 17            cm Width: About 3.5 cm to 5 cm Texture: spike Color: Red,            closest to RHS 46 A.        -   Bracts: Quantity of bracts on main spike: About 14 to 26            Arrangement: Alternate Size: Length: About 4.0 cm to 5.0 cm            Width: About 6.5 cm to 7.5 cm Overall shape: Ovate Color:            Red, closest to RHS 46A-   Reproductive organs:-   Androecium:    -   -   Stamen.—Number: 6 per flower Length: About 5 cm Diameter:            About 0.1 cm Color: Cream, closest to RHS 11 D.        -   Anther.—Shape: Versatile Length: About 0.7 cm Color: Yellow,            closest to RHS 11 C.        -   Pollen.—Amount: Scarce Color: Yellow, closest to RHS 11 C.-   Gynoecium:    -   -   Pistil.—Number: 1 per flower Length: About 5 cm.        -   Stigma.—Shape: 3-parted Width: About 0.4 cm Color: Yellow            green, closest to RHS 144 C.        -   Style.—Length: About 5 cm Color: Yellow, closest to RHS 11            C.        -   Ovary.—Shape: Conical Length: About 0.8 cm Diameter: About            0.3 cm Color: Cream, about RHS 11 D.-   Seeds: None produced-   Fruit: None produced-   Disease/pest resistance: No information is currently available.-   Disease/pest susceptibility: No information is currently available.

1. A new and distinct Vriesea plant named ‘Style’, substantially asillustrated and described herein.